&w=3840&q=100)
Pakistan army chief Gen Munir reiterates two-nation theory at parade
Pakistan army chief General Asim Munir on Saturday highlighted the two-nation theory', stating that Muslims and Hindus are two different nations.
Munir's remarks came almost a week after he had described Kashmir as Pakistan's jugular vein during a diaspora event and asked overseas Pakistanis to pass on the country's story to their children, emphasising that their forefathers believed Hindus and Muslims were different in every possible aspect of life.
On Saturday, Munir was addressing the passing out parade of cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
The two-nation theory was based on the fundamental belief that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations, not one. Muslims are distinct from Hindus in all aspects of life religion, customs, traditions, thinking and aspirations, Munir said.
His remarks come amidst tension with India in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on Tuesday which killed 26 people and prompted India to announce several measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.
Undeterred by the unfolding security situation, Gen Munir said that Pakistan was achieved after many sacrifices and it was the duty of the armed forces to keep it safe. Our forefathers made immense sacrifices for the creation of Pakistan. We know how to defend it.
Earlier on April 16, while addressing a Convention for Overseas Pakistanis in Islamabad, Munir claimed that Hindus and Muslims are different nations, and urged the audience to tell the story of creation of Pakistan to their children.
You have to tell Pakistan's story to your children so that they don't forget that our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life, he said, evoking the two-nation theory propagated by Pakistan's founder M A Jinnah.
Our religions are different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory that was laid there. We are two nations, we are not one nation, he added.
Prior to it, in the same address, speaking about Kashmir, he had said: Our stance is very clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, and we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.
India has repeatedly told Pakistan that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh was, is and shall forever remain an integral part of the country.
The ties between the two countries nosedived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
42 minutes ago
- Hans India
Pakistani army acts as custodian of ideologies, religion: Former diplomat DP Srivastava
Former Indian diplomat D.P. Srivastava stated that Pakistan's Army challenges the concept of sovereignty by acting as a custodian of ideologies and religion, rather than focusing on national frontiers like the military forces of other nations. Srivastava also slammed the radical Islamist ideology in Pakistan, which pits the nation against its neighbouring countries, including India. In an interview with IANS, the former diplomat also talked about Pakistani Army's Field Marshal General Asim Munir's April 16 speech, just days before the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 innocent people lost their lives at the hands of terrorists belonging to The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. He hailed Operation Sindoor and said that it reflected a major shift in India's security doctrine. He also commented on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's G7 invite. The following are the excerpts from the interview: IANS: Could you tell us something about your book "Pakistan -- Ideologies, Strategies and Interests"? D.P. Srivastava: My postings took me to Karachi, Pakistan, and the early 1990s. I dealt with Pakistan, among other issues, in the UN division of the Ministry of External Affairs for eight years in the '90s, and during this, I dealt with Kashmir talks to the Pokhran nuclear test and Kargil. The inspiration for the book came from my posting to Karachi, where I heard the phrase 'Nazaria-e-Pakistan', which means the ideology of Pakistan. This is the very phrase used by Gen Munir, who mentioned this in his speech on April 16, days before the Pahalgam terror attack. My book traces the interpretation of ideology and elite interest in the making of Pakistan's domestic and foreign policy. IANS: What is the ideology of Pakistan? Gen Asim Munir mentioned "superior ideology" and the two-nation theory in his speech on April 16. What is this ideology? D.P. Srivastava: The ideology of Pakistan remains vague due to various influential factors within the country. In 1972, two provincial governments were dismissed, and the principal opposition party, the National Awami Party, was banned after the Supreme Court of Pakistan stated that the party was contrary to the ideology of Pakistan. Notably, this occurred before the formation of the country's new constitution, indicating that the ideology preceded the Constitution in Pakistan. There are different views of what this ideology is. Iqbal, who is known as the best explainer of Pakistani ideology, said that in Islam, religion and state are integral to each other, so he ruled out the idea of secularism, and he also opposed the idea of nationalism. Iqbal also stressed the concept of Umma, which is pan-Islamism, and these are the concepts at the root of Pakistan's current trouble where the jihadi groups do not accept the supremacy of the Parliament, the sovereignty of which, is also challenged by the Army. The jihadi philosophy has always pitted Pakistan against its neighbours, including, what they call "the Hindu India, Shia Iran, and Sunni Afghanistan". IANS: What is the mindset of the Pakistan Army? D.P. Srivastava: To understand the mindset Pakistan Army, one should go back to Gen Asim Munir's April 16 speech, where he reminded his Pakistani audience that they belong to a superior ideology. What is this ideology, one may ask? (Former Pakistani President) Ayub Khan described it as Islam. It is very strange that the Pakistani army chiefs talk about ideology and Islam. In other nations, the armies protect the national frontiers, while in Pakistan, the army has become a custodian of ideologies and religion. Seems like Gen Munir has assumed the priest and a general. The Pakistani army has institutionalised its role in the running of the government, where the civilian parties have taken the backseat. This mindset is also reflected in the neglect of socioeconomic indicators. Pakistan's army regards itself as the state, and it has this mindset has led to excessive defensive expenditure to the neglect of economic indicators. IANS: How do you see Operation Sindoor? Is it part of a larger strategic shift in India's security policy against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism? D.P. Srivastava: Operation Sindoor represents a strategic shift in India's security doctrine, as the Prime Minister has underlined. Pakistan has used the threat of escalation to the nuclear level in the case of India's conventional response to subconventional threats like terror attacks. This time, however, there was no statement from the Pakistani side about nuclear escalation during Operation Sindhoor. So Pakistan's bluff has been called, that it cannot escalate a local conflict or deter India from a military response to a terror attack, and this is a major shift in the paradigm. It also sends a message to the global community that India will exercise its right of self-defence, and we have the strength to do so. We did that in a very responsible manner. We avoided escalation. The escalation came mostly from the Pakistani side. India's initial strike was only against the terror camps. We avoided hitting any Pakistani, civil or military installation. It was Pakistan which attacked Indian Air Force bases, and that forced India to attack Pakistani military installations, and that brought Pakistan quickly to its knees. The Pakistani DGMO called his Indian counterpart, begging for a ceasefire. This message has also gone home and has been understood well by the international community. IANS: Prime Minister Modi has accepted an invitation by Canadian PM Mark Carney to the G7 Summit. Do you think this will help mend the strained India-Canada ties? D.P. Srivastava: The Prime Minister has accepted the invitation to go to the G7 summit. So the focus will be on global issues, not on bilateral relations. But, of course, when the leaders meet, they discuss the entire range of issues, and this will be a good opportunity to bring the bilateral relations back on an even keel. We had good relations with Canada, and I believe, there's a better understanding of the Indian position in the new government there, about the impact of terrorism. And, I think the new government is unlikely to use these incidents as an electoral card. So we hope that this visit will bring about a clearer understanding between the two countries.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Pakistan's Washington Outreach Against India Backfires: Public Humiliation, Zero Traction
Last Updated: Rebukes from US officials to being grilled over its human rights, Pakistan's latest diplomatic adventure opened a can of worms, leaving behind bigger mess than it set out to clean Pakistan's latest outreach to Washington, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was meant to counter India's global campaign to expose Islamabad's role in cross-border terrorism. But it backfired. What unfolded was a series of public embarrassments — from being scolded by US lawmakers, to being fact-checked by a journalist at the UN, and being completely ignored on key agenda items like the Indus Waters Treaty. After India announced a cross-party delegation to multiple countries to build consensus against Pakistani terrorism, Islamabad rushed to mount a smaller, reactive mission focused on the United States. The aim was to challenge India's narrative, whitewash Pakistan's use of terror as state policy, and project itself instead as a victim of terrorism. But the strategy was flawed. The facts were on India's side, not Pakistan's. What followed was a series of public relations disasters for Islamabad. Let's start with US Congressman Brad Sherman. Having met the Pakistani delegation, Islamabad expected support. Instead, Sherman publicly demanded on X (formerly Twitter) that Pakistan eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammed — the terror group responsible for the brutal 2002 murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was Sherman's own constituent. 'Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region," Sherman posted. This wasn't a private remark — it was a public rebuke. But Sherman didn't stop there. He raised the continued imprisonment of Dr Shakil Afridi — the physician who helped the US locate Osama Bin Laden. 'Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11," he said. On water disputes, Sherman made an even more telling statement: 'China should not nick India's water, India should not nick Pakistan's water, and Pakistan's Punjab should not nick Sindh's water." That exposed the hypocrisy of Pakistan's position on water-sharing, not just regionally but domestically. Sherman then landed a final blow — highlighting Pakistan's persecution of minorities. 'Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system." For years, Pakistan has managed to escape serious scrutiny on such human rights violations. A direct and public critique from a senior U.S. lawmaker marks a sharp shift — and should serve as a warning. Sherman also spotlighted one of Pakistan's most suppressed issues: enforced disappearances in Sindh. 'For years, the people of Sindh have faced political repression through enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Since its founding in 2011, Pakistan's own Human Rights Commission has documented over 8,000 such cases, many of which have never been properly investigated," Sherman said. Talk about opening a can of worms. Islamabad had more to worry about than just diplomatic messaging — it now faced the international spotlight on its own governance failures. Meanwhile, the Pakistani delegation's attempt to raise the Indus Waters Treaty got no traction. Their plea to pressurize India over hydropower projects on the western rivers was met with silence. No statements. No pressers. Not even polite acknowledgement. The U.S. wasn't buying it — a clear signal that Washington no longer has time for Pakistan's grievance theatre. Then came another embarrassment. At a press conference at the United Nations, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attempted to portray India as anti-Muslim, only to be corrected by a journalist. 'Sir, I've watched briefings from both sides. Muslim military officers were conducting the briefing for India," the journalist pointed out. Caught off guard, Bhutto simply nodded and admitted, 'As far as the operations are concerned, you're absolutely right." Humbled in seconds — a symbolic moment in a trip that offered Islamabad little more than a diplomatic scolding. But true to form, Pakistan didn't retreat or reflect. Instead, it doubled down. In yet another blunder, Bilawal Bhutto defended Hafiz Abdur Rauf — the man seen leading funeral prayers after India's Operation Sindoor airstrikes targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Bhutto claimed Rauf merely shared a name with a designated terrorist. However, Pakistan's own military media wing, ISPR, released a CNIC that directly matched U.S. Treasury records, confirming Rauf's identity and his role in the Lashkar-e-Toiba-linked Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a party designated as a terror proxy by the U.S. in 2018. Few individuals, as per the US Treasury, are more integral to LeT's fundraising than Rauf. Yet Pakistan chose to defend him. Finally, in a bizarre twist, Bilawal Bhutto floated the idea of cooperation between India's RAW and Pakistan's ISI. 'I am completely confident that if ISI and RAW sat down to work together, we'd see a significant drop in terrorism on both sides," he said. A strange proposition, considering Pakistan's long record of harbouring terror outfits — 83 proscribed organisations at last count, with 45 still active. These include transnational networks like the Haqqani Network, ISKP, and al-Qaeda, alongside India-focused groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Most operate with the knowledge — if not direct support — of the Pakistani state and military. The only group that consistently targets Pakistan is the Tehreek-e-Taliban — a blowback of Islamabad's own strategic games. So far, Pakistan has used diplomatic platforms to either deny or deflect these truths. But it is becoming more and more difficult for the world to overlook Pakistan's brazen support of terror. Even the religion card is being declined. Trying to play the religion card, the Pakistani embassy even asked Malaysia to cancel all ten events scheduled by India's delegation. 'We are an Islamic country, you are an Islamic country," the embassy pleaded. Malaysia declined the request. All ten events went ahead as planned. Humiliation. Public embarrassment. Strategic disgrace. Operation Sindoor has left a giant crater in Pakistan's global image—a blemish no amount of denial, whitewashing or spin can conceal. It's karma in all its glory and it has been duly noted by the world. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 08, 2025, 18:38 IST News opinion Pakistan's Washington Outreach Against India Backfires: Public Humiliation, Zero Traction | Finepoint
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
16 arrested in Assam for illegal cattle slaughter during Eid
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that 16 individuals have been arrested across the state in connection with incidents of alleged illegal cattle slaughter during Eid-ul-Zuha celebrations. CM Sarma stated that cattle remains were recovered from various locations in Assam, with five unauthorised slaughter sites identified in the Barak Valley. These were located in Gumrah, Silchar, and Lakhipur in Cachar district, and Badarpur and Banga in Karimganj district. The arrests include nine people from Cachar and seven from Sribhumi. Additional reports cited the discovery of cattle parts in areas including Cotton University in Kamrup (Metro), Dhubri, Hojai, and Bagargool in Sribhumi. "While our Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom, it equally upholds the rule of law and public order," CM Sarma wrote on social media platform X. "Disturbing incidents of illegal cattle slaughter and recovery of cattle parts were reported from multiple locations across Assam." CM Sarma emphasised that the state is committed to preserving communal harmony, but warned that violations of the law, regardless of religious background, would invite strict action. Under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, cattle slaughter is prohibited in areas where Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs form a majority, and within five kilometres of temples or Vaishnavite monasteries (satras). While beef consumption is not illegal, the Act imposes stringent restrictions on slaughter and sale. Tensions flared in Hojai on Sunday, following claims that meat pieces were found in Hindu residential areas on Saturday night. In response, members of the Hindu community staged a road blockade in the Barpukhuri area. A counter-protest by Muslims occurred in Bhuyanpatty, leading to a confrontation with police. Authorities used mild force to disperse the crowd, a senior police official said. "The situation is now under control, with additional paramilitary forces deployed. We are closely monitoring developments," the official added. Meanwhile, protests continue in Barpukhuri, where efforts are ongoing to negotiate with demonstrators. Residents in Hojai allege that meat was deliberately thrown into their premises, though police have not confirmed these claims. In Guwahati, a piece of meat was reportedly found wrapped in polythene near the Cotton University campus. Police have collected the sample for forensic testing. A similar incident was reported in Nalia, Dhubri district, where suspected meat pieces were discovered near a temple. Authorities said the material was also sent for examination and that the situation in the area remains peaceful.
